According to the data of the Federal State Statistics Service (FSSS) dated April 2019, GDP growth in Russia in 2018 was 2.3% and GDP amount was RUB 103.9 trln. The Ministry of Economic Development (MED) predicted growth by 2% for 2018 and 1.3% for 2019. Improvement of the GDP estimate is due to sharp change of the FSSS review of the construction dynamics for 2018: for 11 months growth by 5.7% instead of previously published figure of 0.5% and following the results of 2018 by 5.2% (a 10-year record). The review is associated with the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area where in 2018 construction volume was RUB 97 bn and investment amounted to RUB 592 bn (in 2018, the second and the third stage of Yamal LNG plant were launched supported by investment of USD 27 bn). Upon the data review, according to the MED assumption, this discrepancy was eliminated.

The Saudi Arabian freight and logistics industry is a large and dynamic industry, strongly supported by state-led investments in rail, maritime, road, logistics, and airport infrastructures. Economic growth, population maturation, and rapid urbanization are the factors driving the Saudi Arabian government to invest in the massive expansion of the country’s transportation networks.

The main sources of nourishment in the country are meat, dairy products, and cereals. Over the decades, as disposable incomes rose and imports of different vegetables increased, a change in diet, from the traditional low levels of vegetable consumption to higher consumption of vegetables, was observed.  The prices of vegetables, especially tomato and okra, have witnessed an increasing trend during the first half of the second quarter of 2018. This sharp hike in the price is mainly due to the declining supplies from major vegetable supplying countries. Generally, during the months of August-September (off-season) the prices of vegetables are up, owing to the shortage of supplies due to high temperatures and limited supplies from Turkey.

The acceptance of sexual lubricants among women is increasing worldwide in recent years. There are many factors driving such acceptance and thereby, the demand for sexual lubricants. One of the major reasons is the lack of natural lubrication during sexual intercourse, which leads to vaginal dryness and causes irritation and itching. Vaginal dryness can occur owing to the following reasons:

The concept of sexual wellness is witnessing an evolving acceptance across geographies including Europe over the last few years. This growth has remained attributed largely to a number of factors such as increased penetration of brands, growing acceptance of sexual wellness products in taboo-centric countries, and vendor investments across the market. Sexual wellness market comprises primarily of products such as sex toys, condoms, exotic lingerie, and sexual lubricants, among others. Europe has always remained a key market for sexual wellness products owing to the various consumer and technology trends prevailing in the region. Countries such as the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain are certain key growing countries driving the demand for sexual wellness products in the region. Also, the evolution of more female-centric brands has further pushed for the need of having the sexual wellness products in the region.

The increasing population is one of the major factors leading to higher demand for diapers. The global non-smart diapers market has the highest penetration rate of more than 95% in some countries of developed regions such as North America and Europe. The standard diapers market in these regions is saturated, and manufacturers need to develop new marketing strategies or innovative products to increase their presence. In developing regions such as APAC and Africa, the penetration of baby diapers is low, mainly due to limited awareness and lower disposable income. In these regions, parents usually use traditional cloth diapers, mainly made of cotton cloth.

In South America, the cultivation of soybean and corn has experienced significant growth in the past few years. Being one of the major soybean producers, the adoption of seed treatment for soybean and corn was very high. In fact, seed treatment with fungicides has been practiced as one of the inexpensive methods to control seed and soil born pathogens in the country. The usage of fungicide-treated seed has increased drastically in last few years. According to the research paper released by Universidade Estadual do Norte do Paraná, in 2017, nearly 98% of the seeds of soybean sown in the region, were treated with fungicides.

Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), is a type of self-adhesive material designed to adhere on almost on any surface by simple contact under light pressure. PSA does not undergo any physical transformation or chemical reaction during the bonding process. It is.

Rising automotive production in the countries including Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam are boosting the demand for industrial gases in the region, since past few years. • The industrial gases are used in automotive metal processing and fabrication applications, such as vacuum annealing, hot isostatic pressing, powder production, sinter hiping, thermal spray/plasma spray, cutting and welding, annealing, brazing, sintering, hardening, cryo-treating/shrink fitting, machining, etc.The production of all types of vehicles in countries including Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia increased by 0.2%, 9%, and 12.6% in 2018 compared to 2017.  The increase in automotive production plants in Thailand is one of the driving factors for the consumption of industrial gases in the country. SAIC Motor-CP built a new production capacity of 100,000 units in December 2017.

Oil and gas exploration and production are complex processes. Pertaining to low interest due to the decline in oil prices, during 2014-2016, the oil and gas companies had not invested much into it. However, with the stability in oil prices and ample amount of proven reserves, the companies have started to invest in the market. Indonesia had the highest reserve, followed by Vietnam, as of December 2018. With rise in activities in the upstream sector, the EPC market is likely to grow in the region. The downstream EPC market occupies a major share, owing to the huge cost incurred in the installation of refineries unit. It is followed by the EPC contract of pipelines used in the transportation of crude after exploration, and for the transportation of gaseous products from the refineries. The overall refining capacity in the South Asian countries showed an increase of ~7.37%, during 2011-2018.